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W. W. WARING. FINGER BOARD FOR VIOLINS.

N0. 524,428. Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

WITNESSES 309 M. J. da/Zma.

IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY THE NORms PETERS 00., Pamuumoq wnsumnmn. 0. :2V

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TO LOUIS O.

FINGER-BOARD FOR VIOLINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,428, dated. August 14, 194.

Application filed December 28, 1893- Serial No. 494,948- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILBER W. WARING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Finger-Boards for Violins, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention consists in an auxiliary violin finger-board, composed of a plate of thin metal, wood or other suitable material, and conformable in outlines and configuration to the fixed or permanent board of the instrument, and adapted to be imposed thereon, said plate being provided with raised or elevated parts projecting above the upper or outward face, and with fastening or'clamping devices by which it may be detachably attached to the said permanent board; as hereinafter set forth and more particularly recited in the claim.

The object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary or detachable finger-board for violins, which may be placed upon any violin, at pleasure, and which, by means of its raised parts, will be useful to a learner. of the instrument, at the beginning of his study, in acquiring a correct fingering of the strings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of an auxiliary finger-board containing the invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same.

A is a plate or strip which is of thin metal, or of wood or other suitable rigid material, metal, such as sheet tin, being preferable. The plate corresponds, in length, outline and configuration, as shown, to the ordinary fixed or permanent finger-board of a violin. The parts a on this auxiliaryfinger-board are made in the form of projections or ribs raised above the upper or outward face of the plate; and they extend across the plate from side to side and are arranged in their proper relation to each other, to indicate the required position of the players fingers upon the strings in fingering the same in playing the musical scalenotes on the instrument. The plate is concavo-convex throughout its length between its side edges, and thus configured is adapted to be imposed upon and fitted to the fixed or permanent finger-board of a violin.

In forming the auxiliary board described out of sheet metal, the raised parts a may be conveniently formed as corrugations in the sheet, as shown; and the parts may be made either narrow or wide in cross-section, as may be desired.

The auxiliary board is provided with fastening devices for detachably attaching the board to the permanent finger-board of a violin; and such devices are constituted of alateral groove or recess a on the under-face of the board at its narrow or upper end, adapted to fit over the nut of the violin, the upper or outer face of the board above the line of said groove being provided with the notches a adapted to receive respectively the violin strings; while at the wide or lower end or part of the board the flexible ears or lugs a may be provided adapted to be folded over the edge of the permanent board. The pressure of the strings upon the upper end of the plate in the notches a will hold the board fixedly in place, the groove a fitting upon the violin nut preventing longitudinal movement of the auxiliary board upon the permanent board; while the ears a or their equivalent will hold the lower end of theauxiliary board in place upon the lower end of the permanent board, and the described fastening devices will permit said auxiliary-board to be readily detached from the permanent finger-board without injury to or disturbance of the latter.

It is intended that these auxiliary fingerboards shall be fabricated as an article of manufacture distinct and separate from violins; and that one shall be attached to the permanent finger-board of a violin to assist, by its raised parts, the student or beginner in readily acquiring the correct position of the fingers upon the strings in learning fingering, and that, when correct fingering has been thus acquired, the auxiliary board shall be detached from the instrument.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An auxiliary finger-board for violins composed of a plate conformable in outline and configuration to the permanent finger-board of the instrument, and provided with a series of lateral ribs proj eating beyond the upper or outer face of said plate between its side edges and constituting parts thereon, together with a groove on its under face at its upper end adapted to fit over the violin nut, and notches on its upper face on the line of said groove adapted to receive the violin strings, and a clamp-device at its lower end adapted to em- [0 brace the lower end of the permanent board, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILBER XV. WVARING. \Vitnesses:

A. T. FALES, A. S. FITCH. 

